Legacy of Darkness: The Desire of the Erlking
by The Duelist of the Rose
Summary: For 700 years the Erlking has been snatching young men from the Mortal Realm. When Yugi dies suddenly, he is resurrected in the circle of a very eerie family. Yami is desperate to rescue him from the Erlie Realm - before it's too late!
1. A Chilling Claim

Disclaimer: Don't own anything of Yu-Gi-Oh except my ability to draw the characters. .

(Though, I suppose if Kazuki got a court order telling me I could never draw his characters again, I suppose I'd have to obey.)

This Yu-Gi-Oh story is based on an old poem that gave me an eerie idea. The poem is below and the story starts after it.

Beware the Erlking!!

Who rides so late through the grisly night?

'Tis a father and child, and he grasps him tight;

He wraps him close in his mantle's fold,

And shelters the boy from the piercing cold.

_"My Son, why thus to my arm dost cling?"_

"Father, dost thou not see the erlie-king?

The king with his crown and his long black train!"

_"My son, 'tis a streak of the misty rain!"_

"Come hither, thou darling! Come, go with me!

Fine games know I that I'll play with thee;

Flowers many and bright do my kingdoms hold,

My mother has a robe of gold."

"Oh Father, dear Father! And dost thou not hear

What the erlie-king whispers so low in mine ear?"

_"Calm, calm thee, my boy, it is only the breeze, _

_ As it rustles the withered leaves under the trees!"_

"Wilt thou go, bonny boy, wilt thou go with me?

My daughters shall wait on thee daintily;

My daughters around thee in dance shall sweep,

And rock thee and kiss thee and sing thee to sleep!"

"O Father, dear Father! And dost thou not mark

The erlie-king's daughters move by in the dark?"

_"I see it, my child; but it is not they,_

_ 'Tis the old willow nodding its head so gray."_

"I love thee! Thy beauty it charms me so;

And I'll take thee by force, if thou wilt not go!"

"Oh Father! Dear Father, he's grasping me—

My heart is as cold as cold can be!"

The father rides swiftly—with terror he gasps—

The sobbing child in his arms he clasps;

He reaches the castle with spurring and dread;

But alack! In his arms the child lay dead!

———Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

That's the eerie poem; now comes the story. I hope ol' Johann won't mind me improvising on his work. 

Enjoy!

Quick now and sound the drums, for something Evil this way comes!

Yu-Gi-Oh!

The Desire of the Erlking

Chapter: 1

A Chilling Claim

Yugi shivered; the Autumn was colder than usual. The leaves of the barren trees surrounding him were now upon the ground, and had created a crunching carpet beneath his feet.

He rubbed his arms vigorously, chilled despite his warm coat. "Now, what are we looking for again?" he asked.

"Yes," said Yami, turning to Duke Devlin, "You never did make that entirely clear."

Yami and Yugi looked at the boy with jagged black hair; Duke's lips curved into a slight smile. "We're looking for something I stashed OK. _Now_ the tree I hid it in is very recognizable, it's big and black."

Yugi and Yami stopped. "A black tree??"

"_Yeah_," Duke said, jerking his head down in a nod, "Like it got burned or something. Anyway, come on!" He turned, eyes darting back and forth in an attempt to spot the landmark.

The "twins" looked at each other, then noted the dimness of the horizon. "Uh Duke, as much as we'd like to help and all, it's getting late. The sun's going down and we gotta get back to the Game Shop before my Grampa starts worrying."

"Ahh, just a little bit longer, _please_." Duke pleaded, "I'll make it worth your while! Just help me, _okay_?"

Yami looked at Yugi, and Yugi sighed. "Oohh fine! But if the sky turns navy before we find your thing, we're leaving anyway."

"That's fine!" Duke smiled, "Now help me find the black tree!"

So off went the three again.

'I wonder what Duke _stashed_ that's so important.' Yugi thought to himself.

The sun was only a sliver on the horizon and the whole sky went golden. Back and forth Yami, Yugi and Duke ran.

'This is useless,' thought Yami, 'When the sun sets we won't be able to see anything anyway, let alone a black tree!'

Duke kicked a large dead branch out of his path. 'It's around here somewhere!' he called in his mind.

"Are you sure this is the right forest?" Yugi called across the way.

"Positive!" Duke replied.

Yugi sighed, and was then aware that he could see his breath. 'Oh great! The temperature's dropping! But then what did I expect?' Yugi turned and as he did, saw something black out of the corner of his eye.

He turned to face it, ready to call out that he'd found it, but — there was nothing remotely black in the vicinity. Yugi frowned. 'That's odd. Oh well,' he shrugged, 'It _is_ getting dim.' and ran on.

Soon, he found he was upon the crest of a hill that then went slopping down; the trees continued on in that direction, and so did Yugi.

Quite soon, he came to a small creek, with its edges iced and the water, frigid. As he looked down at the dark water, his breath came as a whitish whiff again.

"Ah, come here, you darling! Come, go with me! Fine games know I that I'll play with you. You shall see!"

Yugi stopped, slowing raising his head; when he spoke, he sounded a bit breathless. "What?" He looked up and thought he saw some movement amongst a thicker clump of trees ahead. "Who's there?!" he demanded.

But there came no answer, and no movement.

'I gotta get out'a here!' Yugi thought to himself, 'It's late anyway.' He looked at the sky and turned, starting back the way he'd come.

"Flowers many and bright do my kingdoms hold. And my mother does have a robe of gold." The voice came again to Yugi, like a whisper of wind in his ears, and he stumbled in his stride. He stopped momentarily, and looked behind him.

The scene was still, and chilled.

"Will you go, bonny boy, will you go with me? My daughters shall wait on you daintily!"

Yugi's eyes widened; the voice was unlike any he'd ever heard. And that included Rex Raptor and Weevil Underwood. It was a soothing voice, and yet at the same time spooky. A sound that was like _that_ of something deep and old, and yet energetic as the season of spring.

"My daughters around you in dance shall sweep, and rock you and kiss you and sing you to sleep!"

"Who are you?" Yugi croaked, and didn't know why, for his voice had been working fine several minutes earlier.

"The Erlking am I, and the time is nigh."

Yugi began to back away again, slowly; he couldn't explain it, but it felt as though the frost that was gathering on the trees around him, was also starting to gather – around his heart.

"I love you! Your beauty it charms me so, and I'll take you by force, if you will not go!"

Yugi felt his heart skip a beat; he turned and fled. "_Yami!_ Duke! _Yami!!_ Duke!!"

Out of nowhere Pharaoh Yami was pricked to the core, and he spun 'round, baring the whites of his eyes. "Yugi––"

"What is it?" Duke asked, now cradling a small mahogany case in his arms. Without bothering to respond, Yami tore off in the direction he was facing.

"Yo! What's up?!" Duke cried, trying to give chase. Yami ran with his head and with his heart, far faster than Duke could to catch up.

Yami could sense his Light was in dire peril, and it made his own heart cold; the sense had come so suddenly, Yami didn't understand it.

"YAMI!" came Yugi's voice, sharp and clear in the frigid air. "_YAMI!_" he shrieked again, in such a manner as to make the Pharaoh think his young friend was being tormented by all things evil in this world.

"YUGI!!" he sounded, his foot then colliding with an unseen tree-root. Yami's leg twisted, as he sailed forward, plowing right into the mess of earth and leaves before him.

Yami gasped in pain, but immediately forced himself up to his knees. And then he went rigid, for there ahead of him, stood Yugi, back facing toward him.

"Yugi!!" Yami cried, and there saw his counterpart's body fall, with a thud, to the earth; like a puppet whose strings were cut.

"NO!" Yami bellowed, crawling forward with a sudden frenzy; Duke had nearly caught up to him.

"What happened?!" he called.

Yami sat upon the cold ground and took Yugi in his arms; Duke ran up, noticing that, for some reason or other, Yugi didn't have his jacket on.

Yami looked up. " . . . He's – dead . . ."

Duke went stark. "WHAT?!"

King Yami looked down and hugged his heart-brother to him; he began rocking back and forth, tears sliding down his chilled cheeks.

"Dude, why're you doing that?! You don't know if he's dead or not! Now come on! We gotta get him to the hospital!!" shrilled Duke.

Yami seriously doubted he was wrong, but he hated to give up so quickly.

Duke grabbed Yami to his feet, and they ran from the forest, the last of the sunlight ebbing from the sky.

The doctor sighed heavily, and looked down at Yugi's body. "I _am_ sorry, but, he _is_ dead. There's nothing we can do."

Yami felt like he would go mad; the pain was such that it felt as though the doctor had just shoved a knife into his gut.

"It can't be . . ." he uttered, eyes glassed. Duke Devlin stood beside the Pharaoh, equally breathless.

Yami's knees began to quiver, and his shoulders, shake. He began looking from side to side; he felt faint, overwhelmingly so. His hand suddenly slipped from gripping the metal rail along Yugi's bed – and he collapsed to the floor, limp and unmoving.

"Oh cripes!" screamed Duke, "Not him too!!"

The doctor quickly ran around, and knelt, reaching his hand to check Yami's vitals. The physician breathed outward. "He's alive, he just passed out."

All at once, Yami's hand balled itself into a tight fist; his brow clenched until it was furrowed with deep lines, and his eyes open.

He looked around a moment, before adopting a very pained look. "Oh Anubis!" he gasped, throwing his hands over his face, "It wasn't a dream."

Duke tried to swallowed the lump in his throat, unsure of what to say at a time like this.

The doctor stood. "I'll leave you." he said gravely, and then stopped. "Wha–?"

Yami threw his hands from his face and let them slap down against the cold, shiny floor.

"Wha —where? Where did he go??" the doctor puffed.

"Huh??" Duke glanced up at the physician as the man began to look wildly about the room. Devlin stood and then saw what the doctor was going on about. "What the–?!"

Yami saw their startled expressions and quickly got to his feet. He looked at the bed, and his jaw fell; the pulse in his veins was pounding with a sudden intensity — Yugi's body was gone.


	2. First Impressions Last Forever

Disclaimer: Merrily we roll along, roll along, roll along! Merrily we— oh yeah, I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh —ahem, merrily we roll along . . .

Chapter 2:

First Impressions Last Forever

Yugi was shivering, and as he opened his eyes, he found he was curled in ball. He lay enervated for a moment, breathing and nothing more. He gradually became aware that his surroundings were suffused in a pale brightness, bright yet not so much that would hurt his eyes.

At last thoughts came to his head. 'Where am I? Wasn't I, just in the forest with Yami and Duke?'

Slowly he began to move, and as he did, he found the weariness within him, receding. He sat up, bringing his feet down to meet a powdery-white floor. He looked, with half-lidded eyes, and saw that he had been sleeping upon a creamy satin rolled-arm bench

His brow creased in confusion; he took a moment, and yawned absently. He then looked up and around.

There it seemed, he was in the middle of a vast plaza, with short, ornate, cream colored buildings scattered about here and there. All the roofs of the buildings were domed, smooth and painted with little gold symbols all around the borders.

Yugi shifted, and stood, more awake than a moment ago. As he moved away from the cushioned bench, eyes opening wider in interest, his ears then became aware of the pleasant sound of trickling water.

He moved toward sound and as he did, the area before him seemed to spread out, and become more clear before his eyes. He raised an eyebrow at this sensation, and saw now that there was a large fountain sprawled before him.

He went right up to it and bent, peering into the crystal water. He blinked, somewhat surprised to see that his reflection was whole; he saw nothing wrong with himself, and yet, wondered why.

"Hmph," he breathed, and stuck his hand into the excited liquid.

His eyes widened slightly; the water was warm! Yugi didn't know why, but he suddenly had a great desire to dip his feet in. He removed his shoes and socks posthaste, then rolled up his pant-legs.

That done, he got in! He stood for a bit, and looked down at his reflection again. That's when he heard a giggle sweet as honey.

He turned and there saw a girl, his own age, coming towards him. Her hair was the color of pale wheat, and her eyes were like shining sapphires. She was in a flowing pale cerulean dress that seemed to be made of silk.

She stopped in front of him, smiling brightly. "What are you doing?" she asked, a hint of amusement in her voice.

"Oh! I, uh . . ." Yugi didn't know how to respond, "Erm, getting my feet wet."

The girl giggled again, and the sound of her laughter made Yugi think of cookies, and candies. "Oohh," she said playfully, "Come, get out of that water! I have much to show you!"

Yugi looked on. "Oh (!), really?"

He did as he was told and was soon at the girl's side, following her as she lead him passed many of the decorated structures.

"Where are we going?" he asked.

"Firstly," the girl said, counting on her fingers as a way of remembering, "My father wants to meet you. Then, we'll go to visit his mother, my _grandmother_." she smiled, "Then we'll have a welcoming feast, in your honor, then—"

"Wait, wait," Yugi stopped. She turned to him. Yugi suddenly seemed worried; he was looking through her, in thought. "I," he began, "I'm missing something." He cringed as a slight pain came into his brain.

"Really? What?" she queried, looking back toward the fountain, "You have your shoes and socks. I made sure you didn't leave anything behind."

Yugi slowly shook his head. "No, I don't mean that. It's . . . Yami and Duke,"

The girl looked at him enquiringly.

"Do you know where they are?" Yugi asked forthright.

"Well first tell me who they are, and I might be able to answer." she replied.

"Well, Duke's a friend of mine; he's got black hair and green eyes." Yugi looked at the girl, and out of the blue said: "But _his_ eyes aren't as pretty as yours."

The girl began to laugh, her cheeks filling with a sudden blush. Yugi blushed too; why had he said that??

"Anyway," said she, "Keep going. I've got Duke: black hair, green eyes. Now what of this other?"

"Yami, he's – he's like my brother. Well, he might as well be, and he looks a lot like me. Actually almost exactly like me, except for his eyes, _and_ he's a little taller."

"I see," mused the girl, "Well I'm afraid I haven't seen either of them. And I seriously doubt I will! Now come along." she turned away.

"Wait a minute!" Yugi said; all thoughts of Yami and Duke abruptly vanishing from his mind, "I just realized I haven't ask you your name!"

The girl looked back at him; she smiled mischievously. "I wonder why," she said, with a tone that suggested she didn't really mean it, "Well," she came up to him and curtsied, "My name is Ashen, you may call me Ash or Ashy if you wish."

Yugi felt red rise in his cheeks and, as she had curtsied, he bowed with his hand against his stomach. "My name is Yugi Mutoh."

The girl covered her mouth to stifle a giggle. "I know what your name _is_ silly, and I'm sorry I didn't tell you mine. My name isn't something I think about often, in fact, sometimes I forget what my name is."

Yugi blinked at her, then his brow creased. "That's strange."

"OH? _You think_?" Her gaze was challenging, but her smile sincere; she took his arm. "Yugi Mutoh! Now we _are_ dawdling! We must hurry!"

Ashen pulled him along so speedily, Yugi didn't have time to object.


	3. Blackout Before Dawn

Disclaimer: Row, row, row your boat, gently down the ravine, merrily, merrily — oh, I just wanted you to know I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh — merrily, merrily, life has been redeemed.

Chapter 3:

Blackout Before Dawn

The night was cold, very cold. Yami was running; he didn't have the heart to go home and tell Grampa Mutoh what had happened, especially since there was no decent reason why any of it should have taken place at all.

There was no reason why Yugi should have died, and there was no explanation as to why his body had vanished from the hospital _seemingly_ into thin air.

Duke was no longer with the Ancient King; Yami had left him back at the hospital without a word as to where he was going or what he intended to do once he got there. But the Pharaoh didn't care.

He just ran; the muscles in his legs were shrieking for him to stop, and his lungs ached each time he tried to take a breath. But he didn't cease in his headlong flight, he just ran on – and on.

He slammed himself through a partial opening between two bushes, ignoring the sudden, sharp pain in his hands and face caused by _doing_ such a thing.

He went on and on, stumbling several times, nearly crashing himself full upon the moist, leaf-strewn ground. His heart was racing, his eyes were blinking back tears.

Again, he tried to breath, and this time a terrible pain struck through the whole of his chest. He gasped, and staggered; his booted toe caught against an out-lying tree root, and he was felled.

He gave a grunt melded with a cry.

Yet despite all the pain he felt thus, he raised his fist and rammed it into the ground. He did this, again and again, almost insanely until his hand was bloodied and twitching with fatigue.

Then he collapsed, face down, and trembled . . .

The cold of the night surrounded him, moving in on all sides, yet kept at bay only, it seemed, by the thin sheen of sweat covering his exposed skin.

He could heard no other sound but his own labored, rasping breath; he grimaced. The ground smelled strange, not at all like fresh wet earth but like something long kept; all at once, the scent of decay pressed into Yami's nosed and he jerked his face away.

With an effort, he pushed himself up to his hands and knees. He hissed suddenly through his teeth, and hugged the arm of his injured hand.

Slowly he began to shake his head, and tears slid freely from his eyes. Thus he sat, a solitary figure in the half moonlight, surrounded by shadows, and frost.

"Drat you," he muttered, his lip quivering in the frigid air, "Drat you whatever you are that took my—" Yami's voice was choked by a sob.

Minutes passed like hours as he remained seated upon the cold, hard ground.

Then, at last, he started forward, crawling slowly at first, until his hand fell across something on the ground made of cloth. He stopped.

He moved and gripped the fabric; once more, he sat back upon his folded legs, and held the item between his hands in front of his eyes. He studied it, despite the glaring darkness – and gasped.

It was Yugi's jacket.

The Pharaoh couldn't breath. 'Yugi, _Yugi_—' Yami hugged the article against his chest. '_My friend, my partner, my brother_!'

Yami looked upward at the star-specked sky. "Let me go to him! Let me be beside him! _He's my brother!! PLEASE!_"

Yami thought he saw a spark of white light; his mind flashed, and he reeled backward, slamming against the ground — he was still. He stared blankly skyward for a moment.

Then, taking a deep gasp of air into his lungs, his eyes rolled back in his head . . . and everything went black.


	4. Beguiled & Riled

Disclaimer: A diller, a dollar, a ten o' clock scholar — Scholar? No! I just don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! — first you come at ten o' clock, then you come at noon!

**Chapter 4:**

**Beguiled and Riled**

"Oh dear, oh dear!" exclaimed Ashen, a truly vexed expression on her face, "I'm lost again."

She stopped to look 'round, and Yugi came up behind her. "What's the matter?" he asked.

"Um, this part is new," she said, "There's always something _new_," she muttered angrily; she turned and smiled at him despite her frustration, "I'm just lost, that's all."

"Lost?" he asked.

"Yes, but, uh, I'm sure I'll find the way!" She began to look around frantically again.

"Oh! Ashen!!" came a lighthearted voice, and Yugi turned in the direction of the call. There his eyes met the figure of _another _girl, older than him and Ashen by at least two years; she was coming hurriedly toward them, wearing a dress likewise to Ashen's, only hers was a soft golden-yellow color, and her hair was a beautiful flowing brown.

"Oh!" exclaimed Ashen, "I was so worried!" she looked on Yugi, "We're safe now."

The older girl arrived and smiled, though she seemed to be in some haste. "There you are! I was beginning to worry!" she puffed, "I see you've found him." She smiled at Yugi, "Come! Come!"

Both females hurried away, and Yugi, feeling dumb and unsure, darted forward to catch up. "Where're we going??" he called.

Ashen looked back. "Didn't I already tell you? We're going to visit my grandmother!"

"_Of _course," interjected the older girl, "We _will _have to make a quick stop by home. Ruin will be their soon, and father's waiting!"

Yugi's brow creased as he kept in stride with the girls. 'Ruin?' he thought, wonderingly, 'What are they talking about?' Yugi shook his head. "What's your name?" he asked girl in yellow.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, "Dear me, I'd forgotten to introduce myself!" she looked back at Yugi again, "My name, it's—" her eyes widened, and a flicker of distress crossed her face, "_It's_ . . . Cinders! Yes! That's it! My name is Cinders! Pleased to meet you Yugi!" she giggled with delight and quickened her pace.

'Ashen, and Cinders . . ? Hmm.' Yugi blinked, 'Something strange is going on here! It's like . . . Oh! I don't know!'

Of course, it didn't occur to Yugi that him being there in the first place was strange enough. But, you see, his mind wasn't working in its usual fashion; something was blocking a good part of his reasoning sense.

Thus, he had forgotten to wonder, forgotten to question; he accepted things as the came. Forsooth, the very concept of pondering over the events at hand, didn't even strike his mind. He didn't know he was forgetting something; something very important to him.

The trio raced on, and very soon came upon a long paved-straightaway, which led on to a colossal structure waiting at the end. The place struck Yugi as being very beautiful, and yet very plain.

These two sensations confused Yugi, after all, how can a place be both beautiful and plain at the same time?

The girls, almost out of breath, bounded onto the first steps of an immense mound of steps leading up to the entrance of the leviathan building; Yugi was right behind. Upon reaching the top, he blinked in wonder, for there a grand threshold spread out before them, wide and broad, and lined with towering pillars supporting the overhang looming above their heads.

Yugi shivered at the shadows above them.

Ashen and Cinders jumped forward to a giant set of double-doors inlaid into the face of the structure; the wood of the doors was deep and dark, and Yugi could see there were detailed carvings running all the way up. He squinted, trying to make out what they depicted.

The girls groaned and grunted, pushing against the heavy wood. And Yugi, seeing their strained effort, stepped forward to help.

Yet, he stopped short, for that 's when the doors "spoke." Yugi stepped back; a great guttural groan issued forth, a deep, hollow sound, as though the doors were loathe to move, and pained by doing so.

Yugi watched, eyes wide in alarm.

Cinders and Ashen pushed with all their might, angrily thrusting the doors out of their path; the portals, propelled suddenly by the girls' efforts, swung back crashing against their hinges.

"Come!" Ashen beckoned for Yugi to follow.

Yugi hesitatingly stepped forward; the doors were groaning again. They wanted to close, Yugi could tell, for he saw them now moving to, upon their hinges.

"What are you waiting for??" cried Cinders, "We're already late!"

Yugi cringed and jumped through the invisible boundary before him; he landed safely and breathed. Ashen dashed up to him and seized his arm. "Yugi Mutoh! You're dawdling!"

"Quickly!" called Cinders, already starting away.

The three were off again, racing down along immense halls decorated with pilasters, trimmed gold, and deep-red draperies. Yugi looked up as he was pulled along; the ceiling was so high, he was immediately reminded of a church.

"What is this place?" he asked innocently.

Cinders and Ashen looked back at Yugi in shocked disbelief. "This is our place of dwelling! Couldn't you tell??" quizzed Ashen, momentarily prideful, her blue dress fluttering as she ran.

"You had better not ask crackbrained questions like that in front of father, or you'll be off to a rocky start." informed Cinders.

Yugi's brow creased. 'For crying in the night!' thought he, worriedly, 'Who is their father?? And why am I even here in the first place?' Yugi cringed then, as a pain came into his brain.

They turned a wide corner, and in doing so, came to their destination: a long, high wall with a rounded red door in the center.

The girls stopped momentarily, to catch their breath; Yugi watched them, apprehensive about what lie beyond the door.

Then Ashen and Cinders straightened themselves, smoothing down their dresses, and nodding, Cinders seized the door knob, and thrust the portal open.

Yugi was struck then, with an odd smell that came with a sudden out-rush of air. He wrinkled up his nose; the smell wasn't exactly bad, but, it wasn't good either.

Cinders moved, entering first.

"Ah," Yugi heard a deep, melodious voice say, and as a shiver ran down his spine, he found there was a hint of familiarity in the intonation. He tried to espy whoever I was who had spoken, but they were beyond sight of the doorway.

Ashen entered next, "Oh, you two arrived together. Is he with you?"

Yugi watched as the two girls nodded; Ashen then turned, beckoning for Yugi to enter. He swallowed, and slowly started forward.

As Yugi moved into the room, the atmosphere suddenly changed. He stopped, staggering at the stark humidity in the chamber; he opened his mouth wide, gulping a deep breath of air.

Ashen beckoned to him more vigorously, and Yugi reluctantly stepped out from the door shielding him from view.

Once more, Yugi was brought up hard; he stood staring, not realizing he was holding his breath.

There, behind a large gilded table, sat a figure of immense stature, swathed in black robes so that no hint of features could be seen.

"Ah," simpered the figure, who in voice could be told was a male, "_There _he _is. _Greetings Yugi Mutoh, I'm glad to see you have arrived at last."

Yugi stared still, unblinking, and abruptly remembered to breath again; the black figure was in definite contrast with the beauteous golds and reds, surrounding him; not to mention the rose-colored marble pillars.

Ashen prompted Yugi with a dig in the ribs.

Yugi was breathless in his reply. "_Hi!_"

The curtness of Yugi's response seemed uncivil and artless in the ears of those around him, and both Cinders and Ashen flinched.

There was a dead silence, and, of a sudden, Yugi was painfully aware that he had done something considered wrong. He glanced anxiously betwixt the girls and the figure behind the table.

The robed form rose from the chair in which he was sitting.

'Oh dear!' thought the girls, with sudden anxiety. Ashen promptly put her lips to Yugi's ear. "Apologize Yugi, _quickly!_"

"Eh," Yugi tried to gather his thoughts, but all inside him froze at the sight of the macabre figure coming 'round the table toward him.

A slight squeak escaped Yugi's throat, and he immediately backswept from the approaching menace.

"_Stay _boy." was the hollow command, and Yugi was frozen in half-step, "I am the Erlie King, and in this, _my realm_, all things obey me."

The Erlking reached forward, and took Yugi's arm in a frighteningly hard grip. Yugi cringed, suddenly deathly afraid. And it was here that something sparked in Yugi's mind; he remembered something about the figure whose grasp he was in, or at least he thought he had.

For as soon as the notion came to mind, he became suddenly dizzy, sickeningly so and tottered on his feet.

"Father!" piped up Ashen suddenly, coming and laying her hand on his arm, "Please stay any wrath you might have been about to deal! Yugi Mutoh, he is newly arrived here! And knows nothing of the rules of our realm!"

Yugi's eyes turned to Ashen, being unwilling and unable to look in the Erlking's black-shrouded face.

"Yes, father," added Cinders timidly, "He has much yet to learn. Please give him a chance."

The Erlking nodded slowly. "You speak wisely my daughters; I was quick to anger. Much is on my mind. However _Yugi_," Yugi flinched at the sound of his own name, "You must learn our rules of conduct quickly. So to that, what do you have to say for yourself?"

"I—I am _sorry _Erlie King. _Forgive me_. I—I had no time to gather my thoughts, I – was disoriented." Yugi looked down at the floor.

The Erlking gave a short nod, and Cinders and Ashen took eased breaths as they saw their father release Yugi, and move away.

Yugi felt like falling to the floor.

"Come," said Ashen and Cinder's father, pausing on the threshold leading out of the room, "My mother awaits, it is time for us to embark." he moved out the doorway.

Ashen leaned in to her older sister, and spake in hushed breath. "But what of Ruin? Has she not yet arrived?"

Cinders shook her head dispiritedly. "To my knowledge, no."

The two began moving toward the outlet, giving Yugi quick glances that said he should follow or expect to face ill consequences; his pace was soon in stride with theirs.

Ashen shuddered. "I do hope she arrives before father realizes she is not yet come. You _know _how he hates unpunctuality, and she always seems to—"

"Yes, I know." Cinders breathed.

Yugi listened to their conversation, pity and sadness forming in his heart. 'They're father sounds like a tyrant.' he thought, then remembering the limb with which the Erlking had seized him, 'Correction,' Yugi said to himself, rubbing his arm tenderly, '_Is _a tyrant.'


End file.
